Past perfect

Question

Greetings and salutations,Yes the tittle was a spoiler. I am on the lookout for demystification about the use of the past perfect. I am writing a story chronologically. When I am talking about something that happened 5 years ago, and I then need to give a reference to an occurrence that transpired a year before that, I need to use the past perfect. However, do I just use it once or do I need to continue to use it for the remainder of that reference to a year earlier?For example in the following sentence:When I had been settling at my grandmother’s, it had proven that there was no internet access.Is this correct or should it be: it proved?Thanks.Edit: I forgot to add that I use the past perfect continuous in my example, does this change anything?

Heralding Heretic · Accepted Answer

bump

Fivejedjon · Answer

Heralding Hereticbump

I suspect that the lack of response to your original question was partly due to the fact that you gave us an unnatural sentence:

When I had been settling at my grandmother’s, it had proven that there was no internet access.

Without more context, I see no reason for either of the past perfect forms I have underlined. The part that I have coloured blue is almost meaningless to me. Perhaps you meant something like:

While I was trying to settle in at my grandmother's, I discovered that there was no internet access.

CalifJim · Answer

Heralding HereticI am writing a story chronologically. When I am talking about something that happened 5 years ago, and I then need to give a reference to an occurrence that transpired a year before that, I need to use the past perfect. However, do I just use it once or do I need to continue to use it for the remainder of that reference to a year earlier?

If you imitate most authors, you will only need the past perfect once or twice to establish the time reference for your reader. You can usually use the past after that. Nevertheless, as already mentioned above, there are other matters to attend to with regard to that sentence.

CJ

Heralding Heretic · Answer

Thank you for replying.

Ok I get why I should use while instead of when, but do I have to use trying or can I just say :

While I had been settling in at my grandmother's, I discovered that there was no internet access.

There is a context. In that paragraph I am talking about something that happened years ago, and I make a reference to the time I was settling in at my grandmother, which was about a year before the actual anecdote.

Oh and by the way, do I have to say settle in, or is both settle and settle in correct?

Thanks.

Heralding Heretic · Answer

Thanks you for that clarification. It makes sense. Using a few past perfect forms in a row sounded awkward.

CalifJim · Answer

Heralding Hereticdo I have to say settle in

Yes. I'm pretty sure that's what you mean. Getting familiar with a new place. becoming comfortable in new surroundings.

'settle' by itself reminds me of a group of migrating people or discoverers who eventually populate a given region. The British, Spanish, and Portuguese settled the Americas.

CJ

Heralding Heretic · Answer

Yes, indeed. I thought they both meant the same thing. I see the difference now, thank you.

Past perfect

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